Co-Leaders: Daniel Gerstein and Kathleen Hicks
The Strategy, Policy, and Planning Processes
Working Group analyzes processes used across the national security
system to conduct the formulation of strategy, policy-making, and
operational planning. The w
orking group examines the history and underlying
assumptions of the current national security system’s processes to
determine how they took their current form. The working group is
developing a common framework for future interagency processes by
defining desired attributes of strategy, policy and planning and the
relationships among them. Finally, the working group will make
recommendations regarding both the strategy and policy development and
execution process.
The
Strategy, Policy, and Planning Processes Working Group seeks to
determine the extent to which strategy and policy drive actual
department and agency plans and performance for both the short and long
term. Similarly, the working group assesses the extent to which
performance feedback modifies plans. The working group must determine
whether departments and agencies are equipped with logistical,
financial, administrative and reporting systems that enable them to
implement strategies and plans. To the extent such support is
available, are the systems similar enough to allow collaboration on
multi-agency contingencies? In addition, the working group assesses the
extent to which the U.S. government is able to learn from actual
national security experiences and make those lessons readily available.
Strategic
planning involves defining major objectives and developing strategies
to reach those objectives. General Brent Scowcroft identified strategic
planning as the National Security Council’s key deficiency. Here, the
working group focuses on the strategic planning and strategy
development processes from the working level to the Oval Office,
identifying their strengths and weaknesses.
What
is the ability of the interagency process to produce an integrated plan
for the full range of activities required for conducting interagency
operations? Problems in the response to Hurricane Katrina show
deficiencies in the National Response Plan and the inadequacy of
complementary planning at state and local levels. This working group
examines the various departmental and interagency approaches to
planning – in terms of methodology, training and skills required – for
both deliberate planning and crisis-action planning.
The
working group also deals with the existing systems – logistical,
financial, administrative, risk-related -- to support operations,
especially by civilian departments and agencies, and how the different
systems pose problems for multi-agency deployments.
In
evaluating execution processes, the Strategy, Policy, and Planning
Processes Working Group deals with two main elements: immediate
execution following a presidential decision and longer-term
implementation and tracking of developments. Under this directive, the
working group examines the existing civil and military logistical,
financial, and administrative systems that support operations. It looks
at internal reviews of operations and lessons learned processes.
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